Revenge of the Phoenix Queen
by chessdancer
Summary: One dreams to reforge the world, the other is destined to restore balance. A retelling of Fire Emblem: Three Houses based on the mythology of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
1. Prologue: Air

**A/N: Hi all! This is my first fanfic, and I hope it does justice to the perfect and predestined crossing of Three Houses and Avatar. (Or as Odin would put it, such are the Whims of Fate!). In a Fodlan where the Four Elements play a central role in life and war, will the heirs to the Three Houses lead their nations toward balance and enlightenment...or plunge each other and the world inevitably into the inferno?**

**Now it's time for the obligatory intro (in Hilda's voice)!**

_**Water. Earth. Fire. Air.**_

Long ago, the three nations and the church lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when Emperor Edelgard attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all 4 elements, could stop her, but when his students needed him most, he vanished. Fortunately, Claude and I were able to rescue him, and although he still remembers our lovely faces, he has some serious catching up to do before he's ready to save anyone. **But I believe... Our Professor can save the world!**

* * *

**Prologue: Air**

Seteth surveyed the distant grounds below. It was still hours before dawn, and the light of the fading stars afforded only partial vision.

_They found him_, Rhea had said. It could only mean one thing. The child of prophecy had awakened to Sothis.

He had only managed to summon two elite pegasus knights to shadow him on this mission - anyone else would have slowed him down. Their graceful movements contrasted with the powerful and heavy wingbeats of Seteth's mighty dragon, Roku. The spiritual auras of the pegasi shielded their riders from the storm. No such luck for Seteth, who unfortunately had to tough it out through Roku's elemental weakness.

It had been the first time he had seen Rhea so distraught. As with his brethren, the power of Air granted Seteth limited ability to foresee the future, but true prophetic vision required a gift and training in detachment that, to his knowledge, only the current Archbishop possessed. Yet he was sensing that Rhea was not completely dispassionate in this. Could it be that she was hoping for the return of her …

He fought to pick up speed, knowing every moment could mean the difference between slaying the assassin and finding an entire village obliterated. They flew on over Gronder Fields, the Valley of Torment, towards Fodlan's Locket.

_No_, thought Seteth, _it would be wrong to think the Archbishop so naive_. The latest reincarnation of Sothis would not inherit any of her memories or personality. In fact, it was unclear whether he would inherit any of her traits at all. It was not uncommon for the Avatar to lead a perfectly normal life, in the absence of any particular guidance or extraordinary interventions.

The first hints of dawn could be seen on the eastern horizon now. In just a few moments...

Seteth spotted his target heading north along the Airmid River towards a village at the edge of Goneril territory. The dark rider was moving tremendously fast, with two other horsemen in tow. Seteth bid Roku and the other knights to descend as they slowly gained on the riders.

"Archers!"

The yell came from behind just as their flight path was intersected by a flurry of arrows from the two riders in back. Roku's tough scales shielded him from damage, but one easily broke the pegasus's wards and pretty soon she and her rider were tumbling out of the sky towards the river below.

_Blast! Arrows forged with Agarthium likely meant they were dealing with one of the Elites._ Without any hesitation, he and Roku dove down towards the ground like a meteor. Fire erupted from Roku's jaws, lighting the riverbank below in a blaze which quickly engulfed the bow knights. Though temporarily blinded by the light, he could hear panicked screams as the riders were incinerated.

But by then the leader had escaped towards the village, easily slaying the men on watch and sweeping aside the gate with a powerful blast of earth. Seteth and his remaining adjutant flew over the city, frantically sifting through the chaos.

They located their target on the riverbank just outside an old cottage that Seteth recognized as one of the orphanages run by the Church. Not daring to use Roku's flames here, Seteth charged the rider from the sky, aware that dragon talons could be just as deadly as Fire. But before he got close, the earth below trembled and a dozen rocks launched themselves at the fliers. One shot down the remaining pegasus knight and Seteth heard the breaking of vitals as they crashed into an inn. Meanwhile, his target escaped into a narrow alley.

Seteth leaped off Roku with spear and shield in hand, forced to confront his enemy on foot. As he approached, he got a better picture of his foe. The predawn light was just enough to reveal the obsidian black armor and helmet, along with the kind of terrifying potential that often emanated from the most gifted of dark mages. In his hands he carried a glaive-lance encrusted with a glowing red jewel like an eye, which Seteth instantly recognized as the lost Hero's Relic Areadbhar.

"You're late, Cichol! The King of Liberation will free this world from your shackles!"

Seteth's eyes narrowed. "Lord Blaidydd of the Ten Elites. You are mistaken. I will be the one to finish you, and your King will remain locked away in the shadows of history where he belongs."

"We will see." The dark knight's terse reply made it clear that he was not here to have teatime with Seteth. _Unfortunate_, thought Seteth, not only because he could have used the caffeine, but because dawn was still minutes away, and now he would have to mark time though battle.

His enemy dismounted and, with a single sweep of his lance, produced a violent shockwave in the ground. Using the power of Air, Seteth pressed his body to twice its normal speed. Sensing the subtle movements of the ground beneath, he leaped up just as a fissure opened underneath him. He counterattacked with two sharp bursts of wind; one sliced cleanly through the roof of a nearby house and collapsed it. But the knight raised a stone shield that easily blocked the attack. A split second later he felt a vicious impact as that same shield smashed into him midair.

The impact knocked him all the way back into the nearby stream. Dazed and injured, he prayed in the water for a moment and felt the spirit of his daughter renew his energy and heal his wounds. With Assal and Ochain in hand, Seteth quickly closed the distance in order to fight the knight at close range. The enemy was fast, however. He dodged the first two of Seteth's well-aimed strikes before counterattacking with a powerful sweep from his lance, which Seteth barely caught with his shield. Two more strikes with Assal, and this time one of them connected with the knight's armor, leaving a magic-encrusted mark.

His enemy changed tactics and the ground beneath Seteth softened, inhibiting his movements as though he were fighting on quicksand. Another blow from Areadbhar came, but this time Seteth couldn't maintain his footing and had his shield knocked aside. He tried to withdraw but the ground sealed his movements like wet mortar. The enemy saw his chance and charged in with a lethal blow.

He was just a few seconds too late.

As the first rays of the sun peeked out over the horizon, Seteth drew in a mighty breath, the air around him instantly crackling to life as though a million tiny currents were passing through it, fusing particles together into pure energy. Directing the blaze downward, he propelled himself up from the ground to escape the sand tomb, then, focusing the energy further, aimed an immense fire blast at the astonished knight in black. The earth he raised to shield himself was no use, the fire permeating through the cracks in the earth and demolishing the shield as though it were dirt clinging to an old tombstone.

Seteth approached the knight laying defeated on the ground and readied his spear to take out his throat. The old warrior gave one last gasp as his moment of death approached. "Long live Nemesis!"

Then the spear pierced his neck and the dark knight Blaiddyd fell silent as a grave.

With flames quickly dying down at his behest, Seteth opened the door to the old cottage and, venturing upstairs, found the baby, pulse beating without a heartbeat and hair the color of Rhea's.

After briefly examining the wreckage of the battle - and leaving a generous donation in the coffer for necessary repairs - Seteth returned to Roku with the child and the lost Hero's Relic. The three made their way up to the sky and back towards the Monastery, just as the edge of dawn lifted into a new day.


	2. Book 1: Water -- The Girl on the Throne

**Book One: Water**

**Chapter One: The Girl on the Throne**

Byleth woke wearily and recollected his thoughts. He had dreamt of her again, the girl on the throne. This time, he actually remembered a bit of their conversation. Like when she said they shared the same birthday…

"Son?"

The old knight stood at the door, his presence enough to keep the room in the shade even though it was well past sunrise.

_Oh right!_ Byleth remembered. They were supposed to go scout out the southern ranges today, a bit of hands-on experience with mercenary duty. Though he would have liked to continue recollecting the dream, he was not one to keep his father waiting on those rare moments they were able to spend some genuine time together.

They were riding out down the road to the central mountains when Jeralt first spoke.

"You've been a bit more focused than usual lately, son. You know, sometimes I actually wish you would lay back every once in a while. Play hookey, forget your techniques, maybe chat up one of the girls at the village we just passed."

"You know you don't mean that. If I slack off mercenary training, you're going to be the first to put me on weed duty for a week. Besides, she's hardly my type."

"Heheheh, well now, fancy a noble woman, do we? One of those rich brats they have housed up in that stuffy Monastery? I daresay you're more qualified to _teach_ them than settle in with them. Most of them couldn't even wield a proper blade, much less stake their lives on one."

"You've been to the Academy?" The question was the first to come to Byleth's mind. He couldn't help being curious about his father's history, as reticent as his father was on such matters.

"Let's just say I'm a weary old man who's had a little too much of rules and faith and all of that high-minded nonsense. I believe in the virtues of facing the world and sorting out its troubles with a trusty blade in hand." As he said this, he began to turn his back on the direction of the monastery to set out towards the Airmid River.

Before he could do so, the fire rising out of the distance caught his attention.

"Bandits," he cursed. "Never much the environmentalists." He brought his horse up to a gallop, and he and Byleth made their way towards the growing flames rising from the timbers at the base of the mountain range surrounding the monastery. It was not uncommon for fires like this to erupt in this part of Fodlan, especially as they were so close to the border of the Fire Nation. Bandits from there often used fire as a tactic to surround and intimidate their targets.

Suddenly, Byleth noticed three teenaged children, roughly his age, hurrying out of the forest. They were dressed extremely decorously, far too extravagant for this part of the country and especially in these circumstances. He guessed that they were nobles, possibly from the Officer's Academy, but what were they doing here?

"Edelgard, don't you think your tactics are maybe a little too extreme? We could have taken them if only we got the right angle."

"Indeed Claude, if only you had been able to execute on this clever strategy as you were fleeing frantically from our pursuers."

"It was a ploy to get them to follow us towards the river, duh. And it just so happens that water doesn't have the pesky side effect of burning down an entire forest."

"Well in the meantime," interrupted the third, "perhaps we should develop a strategy for containing the fire as well as eliminating the remaining bandits. I suggest we begin by petitioning these two locals here for some assistance."

The three of them looked in the direction of Byleth and Jeralt.

"You kids look like you need some help. We can do introductions later. For now, let's find a way to deal with the bandit problem and contain the blaze." With that, Jeralt rode his way towards the burning trees, with the three kids and Byleth in tow.

As the group approached the blaze, they were met by a sizeable group of ragged-looking thieves, perhaps a dozen, wielding axes and knives. It would be tough odds, Byleth calculated, but given their apparent lack of organization, they shouldn't pose any real danger to Jeralt and himself, especially if those three noble kids had any fighting experience. In fact, if he had to guess he would say that they were actually well trained fighters.

The one wearing the golden cloak - Claude - was the first to move, diving behind a tree and producing a bow. Within a couple of seconds, the closest bandit had an arrow through his neck.

Quickly, Byleth also dove into the action as Jeralt charged the bandits grouped further up the path. Drawing a sword, he disarmed the first bandit while dancing out of range of a second. Quickly calculating his advantage, he slew the second with a series of swift strikes before turning to finish off the first.

He was just about to face a second pair of bandits when another of the teenagers, a tall blonde male wearing a royal blue cape, gave an earth-shattering bellow and rushed at them, apparently unarmed. Before Byleth could call him back, he saw it: the earth seemed to bend as he ran. The unsuspecting bandits raised their weapons just as the ground underneath them crumbled and buried them.

"Hmph, showoff," a feminine voice behind him remarked.

Just then, there was a blinding flash. A moment later, the trees to his left were ablaze, along with the bandits hiding among them, as the girl called Edelgard looked on with satisfaction.

_So these kids are benders._

An arrow whizzed by and impaled another bandit in the chest. The battle was going well. But then something truly unexpected happened. Feeling a sudden premonition, he ran towards the girl in red, and sure enough at that moment a bandit previously concealed in the trees dove out towards her. Time seemed to slow. It would be too fast for her to react, even if she saw it, before that dagger would pierce a vital organ. On instinct, Byleth dove in front of her, seemingly unaware that he was unarmed and as a result he was likely going to take a knife to his chest.

At that moment, time stopped.

...

Byleth staggered for a moment on a ground that was totally unfamiliar to him. He realized he couldn't see anything in his black surroundings, save for a strangely lit stone chair, upon which sat a girl of perhaps 14. She was adorned in an ornate cloak with golden tassels that exposed her legs and bare feet. Her waist-length green hair fell back in waves, unkempt as a virgin forest. He next noticed her pointed ears, and green eyes that peered at him wearily as though he were an annoying child in need of a good lashing.

"Just WHAT did you think you were doing?" The voice of the girl on the throne seemed to ring in his head from all directions as he gaped in stunned silence.

"I'll tell you what. You were being a CARELESS jerk. Do you even realize that you're about to die at this very moment?"

Byleth, trying to command his mouth to move, once again found himself completely lost for words. Instead a sound somewhere between a confused "uh..." and a panicked scream escaped from his throat.

"Hmph. Panicking isn't going to help anyone, but at least you're coming to grips with the reality of our rather dire situation." She sighed. "Whatever shall I do with you?"

The girl seemed genuinely interested in the answer to her last question. Byleth, finally regaining the use of coherent words, remembered blurting out something ridiculous like "How about we turn back the hands of time?"

The girl seemed amused but answered seriously. "Unfortunately, not even a god can change what has already been written in time. Fortunately for you, however, you are not dead yet, and we may yet recover our future."

This seemed to get her going, as she hopped down from her chair and strode blythely towards Byleth. "My goodness, how fortunate for you I was able to intervene when I did. I wouldn't dream of granting you my full power as you are now, but this much I can do. The element of Air is the beginning of wisdom. For in Air, all life is free and unbound, just as the mind in a dream. May the power of Wind be your guide and make you less of a _complete fool_ from now on!"

As she said that, she reached out and placed her hand against Byleth's temple. But Byleth only felt the rush of wind where her hand was, and soon the entire chamber was enveloped in a gust as though it were a cyclone. The room began to spin, and soon he felt himself lurch forward, as though he were in the middle of a frantic dive. Instinctively, he made a rapid circular movement with his hands as he dived, and a moment later, he had hit the dirt road of the smoldering forest.

He brought himself up, a bit dazed from his fall but otherwise unhurt. The noble children were gathered around him, some looking interested and others looking slightly nervous. Jeralt also came by with a concerned expression on his face. Byleth looked around and saw that the bandits were defeated and the fire had calmed. The one that had jumped him… he looked towards the direction he had lept from and saw a bandit against a tree, impaled in the chest with an axe. A little confused, he looked inquiringly at the girl that had been nearby.

Taking a deep breath, she began, "It was… fortunate that you were here, where you were, else I could have suffered a grave wound." She took another breath. "You possess the power of Air. I have not seen anyone with that particular affinity outside of the halls of Garreg Mach."

Just about everything in her last statement made no sense to Byleth. The power of Air? Was she talking about Elemental bending? He was aware that such a thing existed, but such ability was known to be held only by the crest-bearing elite - something that Byleth certainly was not. And Garreg Mach? He vaguely recalled that it was the proper name of the Monastery residing in central Fodlan, where noble children and other wealthy elites were instructed in history, sciences, and tactical warfare by representatives of the Church of Seiros, the organization that stewarded Garreg Mach. Due to its unique role as educators of future princes as well as the spiritual center of Fodlan, it is widely believed that the Church is the most powerful organization in Fodlan, despite controlling virtually no land and having only a small peacekeeping army known as the Monks of Seiros. Despite that, he was unaware of its role having anything in particular to do with the Four Elements.

Before Byleth could think of anything intelligent to say, the girl cut in again, this time in a rather formal tone. "Forgive my rudeness. My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg, a student at the Academy at Garreg Mach. I thank you for your help. If it's not too intrusive, perhaps -"

Before she could finish, the one wearing blue interjected, "We would greatly appreciate it if you could accompany us back to the Academy. My name is Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, leader of the Blue Lions house at the Academy, and it would be an honor to have you -"

"Hold, Dimitri," the third one wearing gold cut in, "Don't you think it's a little rude to be asking an unwitting newcomer to make commitments this early? I, Claude von Riegan, was personally planning to get to know our new friend here before casually introducing the prospect of joining the Golden Deer." He winked at Byleth as he said this.

"Ridiculous," the one called Dimitri retorted, "Still, I am quite curious to know more about our traveller. Perhaps we can speak of this another time."

After a few more pleasantries, and several assurances to Jeralt that he was feeling perfectly fine, the group began to make their way towards the Monastery, both to ensure the kids' safety and, Byleth hoped, to get some clue about what had happened. As they walked, they chatted with the noble kids about life at the Officer's Academy. They were roughly 17 or 18 years of age, making them only a couple of years younger than Byleth. While they didn't speak much of their origin, what was said revealed that they were each from different nations. The girl Edelgard was from the Adrestian Empire, a large imperial nation to the south commonly known as the Fire Nation for its lineage of firebenders and industrial might. The one called Dimitri was from the Kingdom of Farghus, a nation spanning the northwest informally known as the Earth kingdom for its diverse territory and abundance of earthbending warriors. Finally, the one called Claude hailed from the Leicester Alliance, a territory to the east controlled by a group of ruling elites who declared themselves equal in law. It was known as the Water Tribes for its strong affinity for waterbending and its status as more of a loose confederacy than a formal nation.

As the conversation progressed, it because clear that the students thought very highly of Byleth's abilities, with Claude going as far as to suggest that "maybe he should enroll as a student." As unlikely as that prospect was given his position as a mercenary rather than a noble, it didn't fail to spark his curiosity of how exactly life would be like within those sacred and forbidding walls, a sanctuary for learning and bonding with other kids, yet mysterious in its history and secrets beneath. As he let himself daydream about the prospect, his mind instinctively shifted to the memory of that girl on the throne.


	3. Mother and Child

**Chapter Two: Mother and Child**

The group arrived at Garreg Mach as the sun was beginning its descent. Byleth felt a sense of ease settle over him upon passing the outer gates of Fodlan's religious capital. The square was still busy with the clamor of merchants selling their wares, and Byleth almost ran headlong into an old man peddling a large barrow of cabbages. Past the marketplace, he could make out a large lake and waterfall lined with fishermen, as well as a stable and riding complex. Directly ahead, the group approached a large stone building atop a flight of steps, its large double wooden doors manned by a stoic-looking gatekeeper. The exterior walls were adorned with distinctive banners, probably representing several of the most influential noble houses. Byleth guessed that this was the Officer's Academy.

Edelgard turned to address the group. "My friends, it has been a pleasure getting to know you, but here is where we part. Your assistance has been most appreciated. I will be sure to inform Seteth, the administrator of the Academy, of your deeds. I insist that you speak to him when you have a chance, and he will ensure that you are also well rewarded. Until then, may we meet again."

She turned and began heading up the steps as the other kids also gave their thanks, Dimitri giving Byleth a firm shake of his hand and Claude giving him a friendly pat on the back. "See ya later, Teach!" He gave another wink and headed off inside the Academy with Dimitri and Edelgard.

Jeralt let out a hearty sigh. "Well son, I'd say that was enough training for one day." With that, he strode off along the market-stalls, stopping to examine the wine merchant's wares.

Before he could decide which flavor he fancied, an eager voice called out from the direction of the stables. "Sir Jeralt!" Startled, Byleth looked and caught sight of a girl about his height, wearing a simple leather outfit and short hair the color of a brilliant autumn, beaming at his father.

"Well, Leonie! As lively as ever! You've grown up well since my last visit." Jeralt's gravelly voice seemed genuinely avuncular.

"I have, and stronger too! I learned to use a bow and sew my own clothes, and pretty soon I'm going to lead my own mission. Just you watch, Captain Jeralt, I'm gonna be the best mercenary in this part of Fodlan… well, not as good as you, of course!"

Jeralt laughed heartily. "Oh, you don't have to call me Captain, just Jeralt is fine. And you're going to be stronger than me one day, that's how my teaching works! Oh, that reminds me. You haven't yet met my son, Byleth."

Leonie turned on Byleth like a hawk. She looked at least a couple of years younger than him, and still lacking in certain womanly attributes, but something about her fiery expression made Byleth feel like he was a younger brother about to get scolded. She walked up to him confidently and with a proud voice declared, "I'm Leonie Pinelli, Sir Jeralt's best apprentice. I guess that makes us rivals."

She said the last part so matter-of-factly that Byleth just nodded as though she were commenting on the nice weather. She turned again to his father and said, "Sir Jeralt, will you judge our sparring match? Oh, and you have to at least come say hi to the other Monks. Catherine's grown pretty strong, even though I'm about to catch up to her, too!"

She eagerly took a hold of Jeralt's arm and tugged at him to follow. Jeralt looked rather apologetically over at Byleth and, with a smirk, said, "Well son, what do you say we pay these noble brats a visit?" With that, he let himself be led up the steps by Leonie, and together, the three of them entered the halls of the Academy.

...

The entrance chamber was spacious and, like the exterior, decorated with numerous banners. Three were particularly prominent, Byleth noticed. One of them depicted a double-headed eagle on a red banner, another was blue and pictured a proud knight, and a third one was gold embroidered with various icons including a large crescent moon. Further ahead, past another set of doors revealed a banquet hall lined with students casually eating and chatting with one another. Most of them were too absorbed by their activities to pay the group much notice, though several did turn to look curiously at them. Byleth couldn't help but feel as though they were a rather strange sight among this crowd of ostentatiously dressed nobles. The group made their way to the far end of the dining hall to another set of double doors that led to an outdoor courtyard with a magnificent sight.

In the afternoon light, the monastery stood majestically at the other end of a tall bridge connecting it to the rest of the compound over a deep canyon. Its high towers and stone archways stood out in high contrast with the surrounding landscape, and on the nearest facade could be seen a beautiful stained glass window depicting what looked like a dragon of sorts, though Byleth imagined it also looked somewhat like a young girl. The path to the central cathedral appeared heavily guarded, its gates manned by stern monks garbed in the traditional white robes of the order, while soaring high overhead, Byleth saw a contingent of pegasus riders surveying the grounds below. Jeralt had mentioned stories of his encounters with pegasus knights, saying that their speed and agility were a match even for a dragon, but this was the first time Byleth had ever seen one.

As Leonie led them towards the knight's quarters, a jovial feminine voice called out from behind them. "Captain!" This time, it belonged to a woman who was a head taller than Byleth, wearing her monk's attire rather casually along with a gleaming smile. "Well Sothis be praised, what a delight it is to see you again, old man."

Once again, Jeralt turned to face the new arrival with a recognizing expression. "Ah, Catherine! Leonie here was just about to challenge my son to sparring. Perhaps we could make it two on two?"

The woman grinned. "Another time, Captain! Though I know I'm gonna be tempted to pull out Thunderbrand just to stand a chance against you. Actually, Lady Rhea wanted me to send word. It's apparently something important." She glanced at Byleth.

A slightly dark and worried expression settled across Jeralt's face. "I see. Hmm yes, I think a little chat with Rhea could be of interest to us as well. Sorry Leonie, I'll let Byleth spar with you first thing tomorrow."

Byleth took all of this in with about as much comprehension as the Airbending discussion. _His father was familiar with the Archbishop and the Monks?_ The woman who had addressed Jeralt so casually seemed like she had the strength to take on an entire company of bandits with her bare fists.

Escorted by Catherine, Byleth and Jeralt quickly made their way through the central church to the Archbishop Rhea's audience chamber. The room was every bit as magnificent as the main chamber below, decked by stained glass windows and columns of white marble. The Archbishop Rhea stood with a welcoming expression. She was a beacon of tranquility and compassion; standing in her presence, Byleth immediately felt a sense of calm and assurance wash over him. She looked surprisingly young, despite bearing the all-encompassing motherly acceptance that was only ever seen on those in more mature stages of life.

To her right stood a tall and imposing man, whose stern expression regarded Byleth and his father with scrutinizing perspicuity. Like Rhea, his age seemed to be more than his youthful appearance suggested. His hair was also viridian colored.

"Sir Jeralt, I hope your visit to our Monastery has been a pleasant one. And I thank you for accepting my request to meet on such short notice." Her voice was like a cool breeze on a summer day, carrying with it the music of birds. "I'm especially pleased that you have brought Byleth to see me."

Byleth looked up, startled that the Archbishop knew his name. She was regarding him with a mixture of motherly warmth and… was it hope? Byleth was never particularly good at deciphering emotions.

"Welcome, my child," and she said it as though he really were _her_ child, and not just one of the goddess's many descendants. Turning again to Jeralt, she said, "Rest assured, I've made arrangements for you and Byleth to spend the night comfortably at our Monastery."

Jeralt gave a slightly embarrassed cough. "Archbishop. Your hospitality's appreciated, though I wasn't expecting to need it. We were concerned about the safety of a few students we encountered."

The man on Lady Rhea's right spoke. "Edelgard has informed me of your deeds. They are most appreciated, and I will see to it that you are compensated fairly." He paused briefly before continuing. "I must admit, she mentioned something else that made me curious." He turned to directly face Byleth. "Were you aware of how you managed to call the power of Air to your aid?"

Byleth felt a nervous weight settle over him as the three adults turned to face him. "No," he answered completely truthfully, "I'd never been aware of any such technique before."

"I see," replied Seteth evenly. "By way of disclosure, the power you have manifested during your skirmish is from a branch of spiritual arts typically seen only in those who bear Crests, though it is not unheard of for the power to manifest in those without Crests when given proper training. The reason your...unintentional airbending has made me curious is twofold. First is that you were able to execute a fairly difficult technique to great effect with what appears to be no prior training. Second is that the power of Air in particular is a rare affinity, seen presently only in Archbishop Rhea and other ranking members of the Church of Seiros."

Byleth silently absorbed this information with increasing unease.

Rhea continued the thought. "Air is the element most closely associated with the Goddess's divine vision, as such we take special care to welcome those who possess this gift to our Order. Byleth, my child, it is my hope that you will consider joining our Academy as a professor."

Byleth's jaw dropped a couple of inches before he managed to compose himself. Looking around, he could see that Jeralt was just as surprised as he was, while Seteth appeared merely skeptical.

"Teach?!" He stammered.

"Those little rich brats?!" Jeralt blurted.

"Er, do understand," intoned Seteth, "We are inviting you to join us as an interim professor, during which time we intend to test your capabilities before considering you a full time professor, including leading the students in combat. If you were to accept our offer, you would be welcome to stay at our Monastery and be fairly compensated for your services on a monthly basis. Your acceptance of this offer is entirely voluntary on your part, of course."

Byleth closed his eyes to silently process what he had just heard. _They wanted him to teach? Him?!_ He had never even been inside a proper academy before now, mostly learning his letters from Jeralt and a couple of other more educated members of their mercenary group. Everything he knew up until now seemed like it was mostly embodied in his sword technique and his battle instincts, neither of which he knew how to explain even if he was asked to.

"I'm...sorry, I just can't think of any particular skills I have that would be useful to teach to the students in this Academy."

"I was told," Seteth said, "That you demonstrated remarkable instincts during your fight with the bandits, and that your skills with the sword extended also to your instincts regarding the battle at large. Both of these will prove to be useful skills for the students as they prepare to fight and to serve as officers one day. Moreover, a significant part of the students' education is designed around practical experience, for which they will engage in mock battles with one another as well as real battles when accompanying the Monks of Seiros on missions. It is our hope for you to lead your students in these battles, providing tactical and strategic guidance as needed."

Byleth finally understood what the man was saying. Since they spent most of their time within walls, most of these kids likely did not know what to expect in a real battle - experience which he had in abundance. And in a real battle, tactical direction was every bit as important as individual fighting prowess. Thankfully, tactics were something he and Jeralt had spent countless hours together on as they prepared for their more difficult missions. Still, he had his doubts.

He looked at Jeralt for some clue on what he should do, but the old knight simply looked back at him with a curious but encouraging expression on his face. Byleth understood what it meant. It was _his_ choice. Whatever he decided, the burden would be his to bear. He again wondered about what had happened during the battle that morning, and wished he could have more time to process. He decided that this would be the wisest choice.

"I would like to have some time to consider this, if that is alright. Would you allow me to give my answer tomorrow?"

Rhea smiled. "Of course, my child. Preparations have been made for you to spend the night near the students in the Academy. You are more than welcome to take the time to get to know them better. Sir Jeralt, you are welcome to your old room on the second floor of the Monastery. Should Byleth choose to accept our offer, I would be very grateful if you would decide to re-enter our service as Captain of the Monks of Seiros."

Jeralt gave a weary but appreciative nod.

"Byleth, keep in mind also," Seteth remarked, "That you will also be asked to make another choice when you return, should you accept the professorship. It is that of which House you will lead. As Professor you are expected to instruct all students impartially in your areas of expertise, but as House leader you would be in charge of leading your students to victory. Please choose wisely. Oh, and Jeralt, please stay a while, the Archbishop would like to fully brief you on some matters concerning the state of affairs here at the Monastery."

With that, the meeting concluded for Byleth and he exited the chamber. Absorbed by the thoughts of all that had happened that day, Byleth felt immensely exhausted and returned directly to the room Rhea had prepared for him on the grounds of the Officer's Academy. Once he arrived, he immediately unequipped his sword and mercenary gear before collapsing on the feather bed and falling into a deep sleep.


	4. Dark Sanctuary

**Chapter Three: Dark Sanctuary**

The Flame Emperor watched pensively through the library windows as the new arrival made his way to his quarters. _Could he really be the one?_ He was certainly not as...well, _godly_ as expected. One would think the vessel of the goddess herself would be a bit more regal looking. Nonetheless, there was no denying that there was a certain integrity to this man.

What other explanation was there for someone being a natural airbender? He certainly wasn't one of the Immaculate Ones. Perhaps an accidental offspring of one of the Saints? For some reason, that idea struck the Emperor as more amusing than it should've been. Well, no doubt that whoever he was, he was at least _connected_ to the one they sought. Besides that, he was now a key strategic piece, being as he was a prized token of both the Church and those who slithered beneath it.

The corridors were lit with fires prepared by the monks for their evening prayers. The Flame Emperor was pleased by their warmth, and hated nothing more than the dark and dank passageways where the rats who proclaimed themselves the allies of Fire dwelled. _Well, almost nothing._ There was certainly something more hateful than cold and darkness. Its obliteration was all that mattered.

_To forge a better world, the flames must feed on that which is rotten._

With that, the Flame Emperor descended the stairways of the Monastery, out into the chilly night air. Normally, it would have been prudent to avoid venturing near the Church, on the off chance that Rhea's vision detected a hint of impure motive. But that vision was focused elsewhere today. The Avatar had made sure of that.

The path split in two just before the bridge. The one on the right led towards the students' quarters, where boisterous banter could be heard coming from the common rooms. The one on the left snaked off toward the church graveyard. There, a faithful servant awaited.

"A pleasant evening, your highness. And an auspicious one, I might add. Our friends in the shadows share good news." The servant bowed graciously before falling into step beside the Flame Emperor. "The Death Knight has agreed to lead our excavation of the Holy Tomb."

Bah, Thales and his schemes! Opposing the Church was one thing, but attacking the Holy Tomb during the Rite of Rebirth? It was as if they were begging for the entire blasted legion to punch a hole through their slippery hides. As for the Death Knight...Sure, he could easily take on a dozen trained swordsmen, but at times it was not clear who exactly that masked lunatic served.

"I would feel better about our chances if we found a way to eliminate the Dragon of Seiros."

"Thales assures us that plans are underway, your highness. For now, we need only provide cover for Solon as he faithfully carries out our research agenda."

Ah yes..._that_. The thing that always drove the Flame Emperor to the verge of showing those conniving rats the flames of Hell they deserved. It had gotten to be a regular occurrence by now - the random disappearances on missions beyond the Monastery, the "accidental" deaths, even apparent suicides - they were all methods by which their scientists obtained the necessary human samples for their..._experiments._

All in the name of Crest research.

"I want to remind our "friends" that we play a delicate game. We are too few to engage the Church in direct combat. Even the might of the Fire Nation will be insufficient if the other two nations rally against us. And if the rumors of the powers of the Avatar are true..."

"All the more reason to eliminate him while we still can, your highness. Together, I am certain we can bring a swift and merciful end to Rhea's latest pawn."

"No. Even if we wanted to, Rhea's vision guards the Avatar like a sphinx. Any attempt to move against him will prove not only futile, but would expose our entire position. We need a more subtle approach. Something which does not bring the Avatar harm, but nonetheless advances our own plans."

"You seek... to persuade him to join our cause then?"

"Perhaps. Though I would like to better understand his motivations first."

Yes...there was certainly precedent for such a conversion. The original Avatar, after all, was the King of Liberation himself. He who slew the goddess Sothis and took her powers, and led the forces of humanity against the followers of Seiros. He almost won in the end.

_Almost, but a near victory is just as good as a defeat. There can be no careless mistakes this time._

No fair duels. _Especially_ no antiquated notions of honor. They were making a deal with the devil, after all.

...

"Hmm, this is really starting to make me curious. Leonie, how exactly did a former Captain of the Monks become a wandering mercenary with a kid?" Claude didn't believe for a second that the only reason that kid was being asked to join the Academy was because of his fighting skills. It must have had something to do with how he had used airbending to protect Edelgard, but even so, it felt like there was something _more_ to it.

Leonie scratched her head looking serious. "Well he was never particularly open about his past. When I was his apprentice back in Sauin, he and I mostly talked about hunting and sword fighting. But he did mention something about...needing to protect someone important. I guess that must've been the kid."

"According to Church records, the current captain of the Monks has been in service for nearly 20 years, so that would be around the time Jeralt retired," Lysithea recalled. "It was also around the time the great fire happened that burned down the western tower, remember?"

"Well, good to know at least someone's been paying attention to Hanneman."

As far as Claude could tell, there were two possibilities. Either that young man was a true born son of Jeralt, which would beg the question of how he got to be a natural born airbender. Or else, he used to be a resident of Garreg Mach and was somehow connected with Jeralt's decision to leave the Church in the first place.

So... an airbender coming back home after nearly 20 years, huh? If it was true that this stranger was something special, then he definitely warranted keeping a few eyes on.

"Alright everyone, looks like we're going to need to gather some information. I can bet something big's going to happen and it's something to do with that newcomer named Byleth."

"Well if he is truly of a grand lineage, then he is likely to be a relative of mine. Perhaps I should be the one to make our introductions." Lorenz suggested self-assuredly.

"But if it's true that he's an airbender, that would make him either a member of Rhea's lineage, or…" Lysithea scratched her head, trying to find the right word. "Maybe a ghost!"

"I think the stories of the Death Knight have got you a little wound up, Lysithea. But I will say it's not as ridiculous as it sounds. There's at least something about him that didn't feel exactly human."

"Well, even if he's not of strictly noble birth, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to learn a bit more about this interesting individual."

"Leave it to me. And Hilda, naturally."

"Just make sure I still get my sparring match tomorrow. Ghost or no ghost, there's no way some two bit mercenary's gonna take my title as Jeralt's best apprentice."

"Deal, Leonie. Just don't get too carried away, okay? We need you for the upcoming mock battle. Speaking of which, let's go over our battle plan."

"I just hope it has accounted for the fact that Dimitri can probably take on the six of us at once," lamented Lorenz.

"Not if he's busy battling Edelgard, he can't."

Lorenz blinked. "True."

"Not to mention we have a secret weapon." He looked over at Lysithea.

"Hmph. Just make sure Raphael's well fed tomorrow. I don't want him passing out in the middle of battle again like last time."

"Hey! Don't worry, kid! I've been training twice as hard and eating half as little all week!"

"So do you mean you've been eating _more_ or -" Lysithea sighed. "Nevermind, just eat normally! This is _exactly_ the kind of thing that worries me."

...

Byleth woke with a start when he heard the creak. It was still dark, but he reached instinctively for the place he had left his sword. The noises were coming from the ceiling, and it was starting to sound like someone was climbing around on his roof. Sword in hand, he prepared to run outside and confront his unknown assailant.

At that moment, the section of roof over his bed caved in and a figure fell through the resulting hole with a startled yelp. Still holding his sword, Byleth approached the trespasser, almost tempted to prod it with the pointy end of his sword to see if it was still alive.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" A girl's voice pleaded. "Please don't stab me with that, I did not mean any harm, I promise!"

Byleth withdrew his sword, startled and perplexed, but still eyeing the intruder warily. Fetching a lamp, he got a better look at the girl on his bed. She was very petite, perhaps only half as tall as Byleth, and she wore tassels of green hair that were the same color as Seteth's and the Archbishop Rhea's. Her kindly features were at the moment glazed over with fright, but the girl was also eyeing him with a look of deep curiosity.

"I know, I should not have been climbing around on your roof like that. Also I know this is quite unladylike of me." She straightened her skirt as she sat upright with an embarrassed expression. "I'm Flayn. Seteth is my elder brother. Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir." She stood and curtsied.

Byleth was still a bit started to speak, so he simply nodded and posed a silent question. _Why in the goddess's name had she been climbing around on his roof?_

Possibly reading his thoughts, the girl called Flayn continued, "I heard that you are an Airbender, so I could not help but be curious. I'm a Waterbender myself, but Water and Air really aren't that different." She giggled and made a playful gesture towards the mess she had made on the bed.

In a moment, the wooden debris that had fallen from the ceiling was magically swept from his bed and, moments later, ejected out of the hole in his ceiling, as though by an invisible suction. "There, at least you can make enjoyment of your comfy bed again." She smiled brightly, satisfied that she was able to fix the damage she had inflicted on his room. "Well now, I wish you a fine night, Professor. Come and speak with me whenever you would like a chat. I'd love to have tea together, or perhaps an arousing pillow fight." With that apparent non sequitur, she exited the room, leaving Byleth nonplussed and hoping it wouldn't be too cold to sleep with a hole in his roof.


	5. Fire and Water

**Chapter Four: Fire and Water**

Morning arrived and Byleth opened his eyes to a clear sky. There was a light breeze blowing from the northeast, and little chance of rain for the next several days. It also seemed like a perfect day for flying...

_Wait a minute!_ As far as Byleth knew, he could not tell the weather simply by looking at the sky, nor could he fly. _Maybe I'm not quite awake yet_, he thought wearily.

But then again, there were two people now climbing on his roof, and for some reason he was _sure_ about it.

As though to confirm his suspicions, at that moment two impish faces appeared grinning down at him from the hole in his roof.

"Ah… I think he's awake."

"There's no one who could stay asleep amidst all the ruckus you were making, Claude."

"Speak for yourself, Hilda."

"?!" said Byleth.

"Hey Teach! Feeling all rested up for your first day at the Academy?"

_My first day..._

He met his two interlopers outside his makeshift quarters. The girl named Hilda was rather pretty, a little shorter than Byleth with pink pigtails and wearing what must have been a fashionable outfit. Her frail-looking figure seemed to belie a great deal of physical ability. "We weren't actually snooping on you," she assured him cheerfully. "Just thought you might need a great warm welcome! The Monastery gets preeeeeety stuffy if the only people you ever see are Rhea and Seteth. Don't tell either of them I said that!"

"I'm sure neither of them needs to be told that, I bet they could hear your voice all the way from Rhea's bedchamber," Claude surmised. "Anyway, what Hilda said, we wanted to make sure your first day at the Academy is time well spent, so you can best prepare to teach us. That _is_ what Rhea asked of you, right?" Claude winked.

Byleth wasn't sure how much of the conversation with Rhea and Seteth he was free to share, though he didn't see any reason to hide the fact from these two. "I don't suppose she could have been joking?" He suggested.

"I'm pretty sure telling jokes goes against the divine ordinance of Seiros or something. And I've only ever seen _Seteth_ enjoying himself when he's chewing Hilda out about her indolence."

"He's been calling me the Lazy Fox lately. It's such a cute name that I wonder if he's actually flirting with me. It's hard to tell because he's so intimidating, you know?" She stroked her pink curls in a parody of thoughtfulness.

"Well don't be so shy, Hilda. As House leader, I'd be more than happy to break down a few barriers. Speaking of which, Teach, let's introduce you to the awesome students you'll be teaching, should you decide to join the Golden Deer family. First there's myself and Hilda, no justification needed there. Then there's Lysithea, who's the most studious and gifted student you'll ever meet. Lorenz, a really stuffy noble. There's Leonie -"

"HyaaaAHHHHHH!"

Byleth barely had time to react before a rather sharp looking bokken sliced the air he was just standing in. He spun around to see Leonie pointing the sparring weapon at his nose and wearing the same hawklike expression she had worn yesterday, not to mention the same outfit.

"Byleth! I hope you haven't forgotten about our promised duel this morning! The time has come to decide which of us really deserves to be Captain Jeralt's apprentice!"

_Well, at least she remembered my name._ Byleth shrugged. It would be refreshing to start the day with a duel, and he did not intend to lose in front of his potential future students.

Hilda chimed in enthusiastically. "A duel!? Sweeeeeet! I'm gonna be siding with our new professor, of course. Let's go, Byleth! You can't lose with such a pretty girl in your cheering squad, now could you?" Hilda winked in a manner that was way too much like Claude's.

…

The sparring arena was built in the style of a large amphitheatre located to the north of the monastery. The first thing Byleth noticed upon entering through its double metal doors was the sound of rocks smashing against each other. His eyes were drawn, fascinated, by the pair on the floor below. One of them was the noble from Farghus he had met earlier, the one named Dimitri. He and another, darker-haired student appeared to be throwing - no, _making_ \- stones and hurling them at one another. Both were bare chested and gleaming with sweat.

Another loud rumble reverberated through the arena as two melon-sized boulders collided with each other and crumbled into dirt. Unconsciously, Byleth imagined one of them as his head, then wondered if that's how he and Leonie would be dueling today.

"We'll be sparring in the other arena," she said. "No bending, just blades."

Byleth almost sighed with relief.

The adjacent sparring zone was centered around a fountain out of which water flowed freely onto the surrounding field, which consisted of a thin metal grating inches above a deep pool of water. The water looked just like ordinary water to him, but he couldn't help but feel something... conscious about it as he stepped over it, as though it were watching his every move. He and Leonie positioned themselves about two sword lengths apart in front of the fountain. With training sword in hand, Byleth began to feel the familiar rush of battle awareness sharpening his senses and guiding his muscles into a ready stance. Claude, serving as referee, signaled the start of the match.

As quick as a serpent, Leonie struck with a sharp blow. Byleth raised his sword to parry. Several bouts followed, with neither side giving an inch. Leonie was fast, but Byleth had trained as a swordsman for years and could defend just as quickly and precisely. He launched a counterattack after one slightly misplaced swing and Leonie had to back out of range.

"Not bad, son of Jeralt. I see it'll take more than mere swordsmanship to get the best of you."

She then launched another attack. This time, however, her stance was different. When Byleth lowered his sword to parry, the first blow seemed to melt away as though it were an illusion and suddenly a second blow struck him on his undefended right side before he even had time to react. Byleth had to blink several times to actually process what happened.

"Come on! It's Teach's first day, Leonie, don't go all out like that!"

_Thwack_. Another blow, blocked again by Byleth, but again, moments later Leonie was inside his guard, as though she had literally _phased through_ his sword. He staggered sideways as her sharp blow to his chin caught him off balance.

Frustrated now, he tried to counterattack, but she danced away fluidly out of reach of his sword. He tried again but she deflected it expertly and he felt a sharp pain in his wrist.

They danced around each other several more times, but each time Byleth tried to go on the offensive, it was Leonie's sword that found its mark. His right elbow. His left knee. Again his right shoulder.

Finally, by the time he was feeling sufficiently bruised and weary, Leonie made a downward lunge on his sword hand and he heard his sword clatter onto the metal as he stared down the point of Leonie's practice blade.

The sound of slow clapping came from somewhere nearby. Byleth looked about and saw a sallow and intimidating man leaning casually against the entryway. He stood nearly a head taller than Byleth and his face was as emotionless as porcelain.

"Well now, it appears the prodigal Airbender still needs a few lessons in how to wield a sword."

"Professor Jeritza!" Leonie hastily straightened herself.

"I wasn't speaking to you, peasant," he snapped. "A crestless commoner like you may as well be good at combat, considering how few prospects you have."

Leonie's cheeks flushed and she looked about to retort.

Jeritza turned back to Byleth. "I would offer you my instruction, but it seems you've yet to master even the basics of what it means to fight with a crest."

"You sure talk big, yet you seem hesitant to draw your sword against me." Byleth blurted it out before he thought better of it.

Claude, Hilda, and Leonie all lapsed into stunned silence. Only Jeritza looked amused.

"You, challenge me? You're rather eager to have your flesh carved up by my blade. But I only fight in duels to the death. And the hour of your death has yet to arrive." With that, the ghostly man left the arena.

"What's his deal?" Byleth later asked as the four of them headed off to breakfast.

Claude answered, "He's the sword instructor appointed by the Fire Nation, or more precisely one of their top ministers. He used to be a top tier mercenary. Normally Rhea would make these appointments herself, but she's allowed this as a kind of favor to their government. At least, that's how the thinking goes. In any case, that's how we got saddled with that jerkwad of a teacher."

The four of them then had an enlightening breakfast of leek and tofu together in the dining hall. It was much better than any breakfast he had eaten in a long time, and he was satisfied that Leonie seemed just as hungry as he was. _A__t least she's no longer glaring at me like a rhinoceros-bear_, he thought.

Byleth learned that students typically had their classes in the morning followed by practical sessions in the afternoon, six days a week. The seventh day of each week was free. On this particular afternoon, there would be a mock battle, a kind of inter-house competition that happened every couple of months. Apparently, it was a big deal, as everyone seemed to be talking intently about strategies for the upcoming match. When he asked for details, however, Claude simply winked and said, "you'll see."

After breakfast, Claude and his friends headed to class, while Byleth resolved to seek out his father to get some more sword fighting lessons that day. Jeralt was easy enough to find, though, as he was waiting just outside the dining hall, wearing sword and mercenary armor and a rather serious expression.

"Father...What's happened?"

"I'll be away for a while. Something urgent came up."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No." He looked around for a moment before continuing. "Byleth, I don't know what Rhea is thinking, putting you in charge of teaching these kids. If I were you, I'd be very careful about trusting her. But I also know the kids are going to need you here."

"That...doesn't sound ominous at all, Dad. Is everything going to be alright?"

"Don't worry, Son, it's only for a while. We'll get to the bottom of this, but in the meantime, I believe in you." With that, he said a brusque farewell and trudged off down the stone stairs towards the Academy's main entrance.

_Be careful about trusting her. _Byleth pondered the words._ But the question is, whom can I trust?_

...

The classrooms were on the northern part of campus near the church. Each one was furnished with copious writing desks for the students and a podium and blackboard for the professor. He tried to imagine himself giving a lecture in one of them, but still found the idea absurd. What would he even lecture about? Why would the students listen to him instead of one of the many professors and monks around here?

One class had just ended and students were now leaving a room in which a rather provocatively dressed female professor was lecturing. It wasn't long before he spotted a familiar face.

"Nice to see you again, Byleth," said Edelgard, a rather pleasant expression on her face. Accompanying her was a rather pale and dark-haired male student, half a head taller than she was and eyeing Byleth with suspicion. "This is Hubert, he's a childhood friend of my family's."

Hubert nodded, apparently annoyed at being dragged into the conversation. "I specialize in assassinations." He said matter-of-factly.

"Erm...as you can see, he has an unusual sense of humor. His report on the attempted assassination of Archduke Paku was just praised as an exemplar of fine research." Hubert huffed, looking a little impatient, but Edelgard said she would meet him in Hanneman's lecture and he trudged off.

"I see you've taken a liking to the Monastery after all," Edelgard continued. "Is it everything you expected?"

He thought back to his match against Leonie. "It could take some getting used to," he admitted.

Edelgard led them in the other direction towards the courtyard. She was wearing the school uniform trimmed with her house colors, red and black, while her pure white hair fell over her shoulders like fresh snow. She continued, still in a friendly tone. "I've always found it too stuffy within these classrooms. Theory has its place, but it takes courage and strength of will to apply it out in the world." She studied him for a moment. "Is that why you're here? Because you want to make the world a better place?"

Byleth was slightly surprised at the question. The truth was, he had rarely desired much at all about how things should be in the world. Life as a mercenary was hard enough without the complications of worldly affairs, and he wouldn't know where to begin.

"I've never really thought much about it," he said.

"That makes sense, considering you've spent most of your life as a mercenary fighting mainly to survive." If Edelgard was disappointed, she didn't let on. She merely considered him for a moment, then said, "It's worth thinking about, even for you. Many come to the monastery because they are unsatisfied with their world, and seek refuge from it or pray to their goddess for change. But those who actively seek the means to change the world usually find it.

"Take the academy, for example. This year, it's as much about the future political balance of Fodlan as it is about preparing young kids for offices."

"What do you mean?"

"I - we don't normally speak of this to outsiders, but Dimitri, Claude, and I are actually the crown heirs to our respective nations. For me, it's not a matter of aspiration, but of destiny that I will one day lead the Adrestian Empire, and with that comes the weight of my people's expectations."

Byleth took a moment for this information to sink in. So the girl standing before him was the crown princess of the Fire Nation, and future Fire Lord. He didn't quite register her regal bearing before but somehow it was very apparent now. The way she held her chin up ever so slightly when speaking, the commanding posture, the way she held his gaze without flinching.

"But that's still far into the future," Edelgard continued. "For now, I'm just a student like everyone else, trying to get good grades and a good reputation among her classmates. After all, what use is political power in five years when you have an exam in five days?"

That sounded like a rhetorical question to Byleth, so he simply nodded.

"As for what I would do with power. I'd begin with a more just and equal society, where nobility and common people like us can come together as individuals to share dreams and ideas for the future. That seems to be a nice place to start, doesn't it?"

Byleth was still a little self-conscious of just how unusual it was for a commoner like him to be having this conversation, so he simply nodded.

Edelgard smiled. "I have to go to class soon, but it was nice talking to you again. If you are able, come witness the mock battle this afternoon. It may give you a sense of the larger battle at stake." She walked off self-assuredly down towards the classrooms.

...

That afternoon, the entire Academy gathered itself at the outskirts of the monastery, overlooking a mock battlefield. On the eastern bank of a river grew a grove of trees, while on its opposing side stood a number of wooden forts. A single bridge connected the two halves of the field across water that looked at least several heights deep.

On the way here, Byleth had managed to strike up conversation with a student from the Blue Lions house, a rather mousy and even-tempered boy named Ashe. He explained that it would be a three-way battle, and the goal of each House was to capture something called a Hero's Relic from the other two houses and return it to their camp. He pointed to the artifacts the House leaders were carrying. They seemed to glow as though still hot from the forge.

"They're just replicas," Ashe explained. "The axe is Amyr, the Raging Storm. That's Areadbhar, the Lance of Atrocity, and Failnaught, the Fallen Star." He indicated the bow in Claude's hand.

The weapons the students wielded were dulled for training (though they still hurt, as Byleth knew perfectly well). Most carried swords, though there were plenty of lances, axes, bows, and even bare fists. Each student wore a kind of light armor bearing the insignia of their house. If it was broken during the fight, the student it belonged to was considered 'dead'.

"It's easier than it looks," Ashe said. "Sort of like cutting a potato."

Each team was composed of the 8 students voted to represent their House. Apparently, it was quite an honor to fight in this battle, and an even bigger one to win. Ashe's team had won the previous 5 matches. According to Ashe, it had all been due to Dimitri, though he mentioned that almost everyone in his class was a decent fighter except for himself.

Catherine made the ceremonial introduction of the battle. "Alright kids, the rules are the same. No maiming or killing. _I'm looking at you, Hubert_. That said, freezing, burning, burying in quicksand are all valid ways of defeating your opponents and are all highly encouraged. The winning House gets extra sauna time, while the losing House gets an extra assignment from Lady Rhea."

The crowd observing the match was quite large and consisted of students and faculty as well as interested outsiders. Byleth settled in among them atop a nearby hill to watch the battle.

...

Edelgard ducked behind a large oak as two large boulders flung themselves in her direction. The boyish faces of Felix and Sylvain grinned from across the river, intent on striking her down. She held her position with difficulty. While she was no slouch of a tactician, even she had to admit that finding a weakness in Dimitri's form would be difficult. Every fireball lobbed at the Lions' fortresses was answered by two stones hurled back at her team's formation.

She glanced up north to see what Claude was up to. It was then she noticed Raphael advancing towards the Lions' fortress on the western shore. Unarmed, he swatted away boulders like beach balls, while safely behind him, Lysithea performed elaborate movements that elicited water to rise from the river in serpentine tendrils. The water snaked around the earthbenders' forts and sent several defenders scurrying from the shore.

It was just the opening she was waiting for.

"Hubert, lend me your strength."

"Gladly."

Combining their chi, the two of them summoned a torrent of flame that set ablaze the nearest fort, scattering its defenders.

"Black Eagles, advance!"

_Yes, all is going according to plan_, she thought as Ferdinand led the bulk of the Black Eagle forces across the bridge to invade Lions' territory. Assuming nothing unexpected happened now, the victory was as good as hers.

Just then, Claude came in surfing on a wave, his face beaming a cheesy grin.

…

Bernie hid herself among the trees trying not to make a sound. It was so unfair that she had to fight in this battle just for having the best grades in botany and decent archery skills. Not that she believed it was due to anything other than dumb luck that she hit the center of the target every time. At least her only job was defense, so with luck, she could avoid fighting anyone today.

She peeked out from behind her designated safe tree eyeing the path up ahead. There didn't seem to be any enemies coming from that way, which didn't do anything to calm her paranoia. They were almost certainly moving silently among the trees and were going to sneak up behind her and do awful things to her. She considered climbing up a tree but decided she would probably fall off and be even more embarrassed. Ooh, if only she knew enough firebending to summon a Seeker, or -

"EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!"

She bolted from her spot as quick as a startled rabbit as soon as she heard the leaves rustle. She continued to run fervently until she reached the river where the rest of the battle was taking place. Along the way, she dashed straight by Lorenz who was hiding among the brambles. The flustered nobleman stared after her for a moment, scratching his head and looking positively nonplussed, before venturing on to steal the Black Eagles' relic.

…

Edelgard retreated to the forest as all hell broke loose. One of Claude's arrows connected with Hubert as he dove to protect Edelgard, while the others put the remaining Lions on the defensive. The Earthbenders targeted him with rocks but Claude was much too agile on the water, gracefully outmaneuvering them.

Meanwhile, most of Ferdinand's strike team had been washed away by the wave, and the rest had made it into the Lions' camp only to be slaughtered by Dimitri, who was now joining in on the effort to tame Claude. In the meantime, Bernadetta came running out of the forest apparently very excited about something -

Edelgard summoned the fire just in time to stop Leonie as she charged at her. The fire grazed Leonie's armor but she quickly dove into the river where further flames would be useless. It was at that moment that Edelgard noticed the glow of a Hero's Relic. She watched and gave chase as the glowing relic and Leonie's silhouette got flushed downstream by the river's current, away from the Deers' territory.

Several minutes passed. By now Dimitri had managed to bury Claude beneath a pile of rubble and had noticed what Edelgard was looking at. The two eyed each other from across the river for several moments, and each prepared to dive in to retrieve the relic. Just as they were about to do so however, a gong sounded from the hills, signalling the end of the match. Confused, both she and Dimitri watched Leonie finally emerge from the water. In her hands, she carried a glowing bow.

Failnaught. It was the Golden Deers' own relic.

…

Byleth was very impressed by what he saw during the match. Dimitri had managed to get the better of the two students he was fighting as well as Claude. But in the midst of that chaos, no one kept a close eye on Leonie, who, against all expectations, rushed by the field apparently carrying the Black Eagle relic, which all along had been her own teams' relic. This was enough to completely distract Dimitri and Edelgard so that they were not watching as Hilda managed to make it all the way to the Lions' fortress, knock out the sole guard for their relic, and take it back to Deer territory, while her teammate did the same with the Eagles' relic. And since the Golden Deers' relic had never technically been stolen, the final victory was theirs.

Catherine was now debriefing the students on the match outcome. First place went to the Golden Deer for their relics retrieved, followed by the Blue Lions for their knockout score, and finally the Black Eagles.

"Congratulations Claude for your successful subterfuge," she remarked, "I think the others won't be forgetting that maneuver anytime soon. Black Eagles, you'll be receiving word of your assignment in a week's time. Until then, practice hard for your next match at Gronder Field!"

The dinner that evening was filled with students celebrating and pundits wanting to discuss the strategy, the chances of Claude's gambit failing, and so forth. Dimitri and Edelgard were among those congratulating Claude, who had become an instant celebrity at the Academy.

"It's not luck if it was based on preparation. Well done, Claude."

"If only I had anticipated your scheme, but next time it won't be so easy."

Byleth's head was still swimming when he returned to the Archbishop's chamber for their scheduled meeting that evening. All in all, he had been excited to be able to spend time with the students, but having witnessed the battle that afternoon, he was not sure how it was possible for him to teach these kids, who were both physically and tactically sharper than he was.

And so when Rhea looked expectantly at him, he found he couldn't quite meet her gaze, and instead struggled to find the words to express his reluctance. _It was great meeting the students. But unfortunately I don't think I'm up to the task of teaching them._ But at that moment, a new unbidden thought presented itself to him. _Is that why you're here? Because you want to make the world a better place?_ Still not knowing how to answer, he instead asked, "What is the task you plan to give to the losing team?"

Rhea looked surprised but hardly missed a beat as she replied, "They will be assigned the task of eliminating a bandit group in the outskirts of the monastery. These missions are intended as motivation for them to improve over the next month."

Byleth gaped at her. _She plans to send them to hunt bandits?!_ He knew first hand just how dangerous they could be. Did she not realize that one of her students had almost been killed by bandits just yesterday, had he not been there to -?

He knew then what he had to do. He thought back to his father's advice to not completely trust Rhea, and also remembered the part about the students needing him.

"Byleth, have you decided? Will you be our professor?"

This time he did not hesitate. The words formed in his mouth as though not his own, but it was his own voice which replied, firmly, "Yes, I will teach them… I will teach the Black Eagles."


	6. The Bending Professor

**Chapter Five: The ****Bending Professor**

"Rhea, are you certain about this?" The saint's stern question was phrased as prudent counsel even as his voice betrayed a glimmer of hope. "I can't help but think we are putting these students' lives at risk if the new professor proves insufficient to the task."

"The Avatar has lived through many lifetimes. Each time the world has needed him or her, they have risen. A time of turmoil is approaching. If Byleth fails to rise to the role of Avatar, the world will be at far greater risk."

Seteth sighed. He knew it would be futile to try to dissuade the Archbishop once her mind was made up, especially on matters concerning Prophecy. But even so, he felt his duty was foremost to ensure the safety of the Academy.

"Let me at least oversee their progress. You are aware that the Death Knight is among our enemies, and with Jeralt gone he will have no one else."

"He has Edelgard."

"Is it wise to allow the future Emperor of the Fire Nation to exert so much influence on the Avatar? Unlike her father, she is extremely ambitious, and the Fire Nation has been known to house those who see military conquest as an act of benevolence."

"Perhaps you underestimate the will and influence of the Avatar. He who has the experience of countless generations preserving balance between the nations will not be easily swayed by political ties."

"The leaders of the other nations may not share the same faith."

"Tenacious as ever, Seteth. Very well. You may monitor and protect the students. Just remember that this is a test of Byleth. Don't lose sight of who our true enemies are. Now please, I must return to my meditations."

Seteth bowed and prepared to exit. But his curiosity prompted one last question.

"Have you ever spoken with her? With Sothis I mean?"

"You know I cannot, for I am not the Avatar, nor do I bear the Crest of the Fell King."

He allowed the doors of the meditation chamber to seal shut behind him.

…

"Now as many of you know, crests are the heritable elements that link certain lineages to the original rulers of Fodlan," Hanneman was saying. "One of the most remarkable and mysterious effects of crests is their ability to grant the bearer a strong elemental affinity, be it Earth, Fire, Wind, or Water. Over time, the families through which these crests were passed down each became associated with their particular elemental affinity; Blaidydd with Earth, Hresvelg with Fire, and so on, and this became the basis for their allegiances to one another, and ultimately the three Kingdoms we see today."

Byleth sat in the lecture hall along with several students from the three houses. According to the schedule he was given, he would be listening to lectures three days a week and receiving mentorship from Hanneman, a veteran professor of history and crestology, while preparing to teach his own classes on alternate days. He found himself interested in the information.

"Forgive me", a student said, "but that seems a rather superficial designation by which to form the basis of a political system. How is it that the common people readily accepted this reason for living apart from one another?"

"Hmm, very good point, Linhardt. It is, unfortunately, an inescapable tendency for humanity to form tribes and ideologies guided by such superficial symbols. Followers of Hresvelg, for instance, have taken inspiration from their element of Fire to innovate and industrialize, and members of their nation have a particular zeal to see their ideas spread far and wide. It has...been the source of much political tension, as some of you may have experienced. But that's enough for today, we'll pick up the discussion of the nature of the four elements next time."

As the class dismissed, Byleth stayed behind to speak with Hanneman.

"Ah, you must be Byleth, my new colleague. I hope you did not find my lecture too trifling."

"No, it was quite fascinating. I had never considered crests to be such a potent source of conflict."

"Unfortunately it is so. The nobility of the nations see crests as a sign of rightful power. Even Air, an inherently peaceful element, has a history of misusing crests to expand its power, perhaps not through war, but certainly intellectual persuasion - some would say indoctrination."

Byleth felt he had just chewed on something bitter.

"I too found it quite interesting," a voice behind him said. Byleth turned to see Edelgard, who had stayed behind as well. "Though Linhardt's point makes me wonder if there is room to create a world not guided by such superficial symbols as crests."

Hanneman considered. "In theory, perhaps, but it's an experiment few would be willing to undertake. To upset the current order of the world would certainly trigger war, or worse."

His face darkened.

"Hohoho, but that's just speculation. I admit, what really intrigues me about crests is studying those people who bear them whenever and however I can. And if I am not mistaken, my young colleague, you are almost certainly in possession of such a crest."

"I am?"

"Yes. Or so I can infer from your flawless demonstration of the Pneuma Galefist. Who knows, it may even be the Crest of the Goddess herself! Oh, but I'm getting far too ahead of myself. Calm down, Hanneman, great scientific endeavors require patience…"

He smiled contentedly and seemed to gather himself. "Do join me for a cup of tea sometime, won't you, my young colleague?" With that, he left the room, leaving Edelgard and Byleth alone in the lecture hall.

...

"So you're the new professor. I had thought you were too young, but I suppose given your proficiency with Air, it's not too surprising."

"I still have no idea how I learned to execute that move."

Edelgard looked at him seriously. "Then you'll have to discover it soon. Byleth, I'll be honest, I want you to succeed in leading our class, but most of the students here see bending skill as a sign of status. You've seen how hard Dimitri trains, and Claude is a much better waterbender than he looks."

Byleth nodded. "But what about you?"

"I've...been exposed to firebending since I was a young girl." She calmly ignited a fan of flames spreading from her palm, then quickly retracted it. "Firebending isn't strictly allowed on monastery grounds these days, ever since the fire that burned this place 20 years ago. Most of our class hasn't had a proper firebending teacher. Bernadetta, for instance. Her father used to beat her for going anywhere near fire, and now she's terrified of it. Even Ferdinand, the son of the Prime Minister, has little experience beyond the basics, even though his father is considered a firebending Master."

"Why won't they hire someone to teach this?"

"The Church is of the opinion that firebending is unnecessary in a peaceful world. Teaching children firebending has been discouraged to the point of becoming obsolete."

"Doesn't the Fire Lord...your father, I mean...object to any of this?"

She sighed. "My father gave up his influence on the Church long ago. His power is a mere shadow of what it once was. It's up to me to set things straight."

She looked ready to set something on fire again, then calmed herself.

"If I were just able to teach the rest of the students what I know, I'm sure we would win the Battle of the Eagle and Lion this year. And with that, perhaps reclaim some of our house's dignity."

"Isn't there any exception?"

"There is. We could practice firebending, but it would have to be outside the grounds under the supervision of a professor of the Academy."

...

Byleth paced nervously outside the classroom he would be teaching. The sleeves of the Academy's official professor's uniform draped awkwardly over his arms and felt too big for him in more ways than one.

The topic of his class was mercenary survival tactics. He'd decided it would be the best topic for his class to know for fighting bandits, and it was something Jeralt had taught him well.

In his hands was the roster of students he'd be teaching. In it he could see the profiles for Edelgard and Hubert, along with:

Ferdinand, son of Duke Aegir. Likes tea and healthy rivalry.

Bernadetta, daughter of Count Varley. Likes plants and embroidery.

Caspar, son of Count Bergliez. Likes to fight with his fists. (_let's watch out for this one)_

Linhardt, son of Count Hevring. Likes reading and catnapping.

Petra, daughter of the King of Brigid. Likes hunting and the outdoors.

Dorothea, daughter of a songstress. Likes drama and performance.

The list also included a few students from the other houses, including (to his slight consternation) Leonie.

Finally summoning up the courage, he strode, perhaps a little too bombastically, into the lecture hall.

…

"I wonder who the new professor is!" Dorothea said excitedly.

"Probably another washed up songstress from Enbarr," Linhardt yawned.

Moments later Byleth strode into the room. His face looked a little pale, but he wore a straight posture.

"Oh my, he's so young. And quite handsome!"

"Shh!" Lysithea hissed.

"Good morning!" Byleth declared in an upbeat tone. "I'm Byleth, a former mercenary and son of Jeralt Bladebreaker. I'll be your tactics professor for this semester."

"Wait, isn't he the guy who saved Edelgard?"

"Yes, the airbender."

"I thought they were all living at the Church these days."

"Today, I'll be teaching you how to anticipate an enemy decoy," Byleth continued.

"Well that's a rather germane topic considering our recent mock battle."

"Easy for you to say, Linhardt. I don't remember you calling out Claude's bluff."

"That's because I was making sure you didn't get clobbered too badly by Dimitri, Caspar."

The class continued thus. Byleth began with an analysis of the recent mock battle, indicating a key moment where Edelgard could have seen through the decoy and secured her own victory.

By the end, the entire class had actually become quite focused. They were now discussing a key tactic employed at the legendary Battle of Tailtean, where the followers of Seiros finally lured Nemesis into his fateful duel.

"I don't remember reading about that in any history textbook."

"It's as though he was actually there!"

"Impossible. I'm sure he's just embellishing for the sake of instruction."

The class took diligent notes.

…

"Wait, so how long did you say you've been a mercenary?" Dorothea sounded skeptical.

"About 3 years."

"And you're a bender, right?" Linhardt stifled a yawn as he said it.

"Well, I -"

"That's pretty incredible," remarked Ferdinand. "Most people have to practice for years, even with a crest."

"While it's usually the case," Edelgard said, "there have been some notable exceptions. It may have been luck, but natural talent is just as viable an explanation."

"I'll believe you if he'd show us."

"That is -"

"Yeah! Teach us that amazing move so we can kick some Water Tribe butt next battle!"

"Er -"

"That sounds scary! Maybe I can watch it from far away."

"Oh that's -"

"Please be showing us the move, Professor, I cannot be waiting -"

"I CAN'T DO IT!"

The group fell silent.

He explained what had happened.

"So...you were able to do an awesome move but...you don't know how you did it?"

He nodded.

A few more moments of silence. Then Dorothea exclaimed, "Well I still think you're young and handsome!"

...

The library shelves were adorned with countless worn books, mostly historical and religious texts as far as Byleth could tell. The first one he examined was a noble's account of the War of Heroes. Another was titled "The Ascension of Seiros: Salvation by Faith". He scanned the shelf above that and -

"Excuse me, Professor?"

He turned and saw no one until he looked down at his waist to find a young girl with snowy white hair peering up at him through large purple irises.

"Professor, could you please help me?" She said, "I'm trying to reach a book, but it's all the way on the top of that shelf." She pointed to a particularly dusty section of books above their heads.

"Sure, no problem." He lifted her up and she clambered onto his shoulders. She was even lighter than she looked, as though she had only half the organs of a normal human being. She reached out and grabbed the volume she was looking for - "A Realist Perspective of International Relations" - and then waited as Byleth helped her back down.

"Thank you." She said. "By the way, that was a really interesting lecture. I don't think I've ever read about the pincer ambush at the Battle of Tailtean, and I've read most of the books in this library. I'm Lysithea, by the way. Is there something I can help you find?"

He asked if she knew of any good book on Airbending.

"Oh, of course! It's Wan's Guide to Bending." She indicated a shelf in the back of the library. "It's a little dated, but some techniques haven't changed in centuries."

He scanned the shelf and found the book Lysithea mentioned. It was heavy and worn, but its leather-bound cover was quite durable. He turned to the first page and began reading.

Wan's Guide to Bending

A Pathway to Elemental Mastery by the Second Avatar

The language was a little old but still recognizable to Byleth. The first section discussed the origin of the Elements.

"A long time ago, there existed powerful beings whose abilities were said to resemble the force of nature herself. These beings were direct descendents of the Goddess, known as Macuil, the Messenger of Wind; Cethleann, the Maiden of Water; Indech, the Immovable Earth, and Cichol, the Unquenchable Fire. The original humans worshiped these beings as the Four Saints, and it was said that any children bearing their namesake crests would be blessed with great elemental prowess.

The greatest generals of Fodlan at the time made pacts with the saints to inherit their powers through their own crests, each symbolizing their devotion to one of the elements, and became known as the Ten Elites. But their king, Nemesis, was not satisfied until he had mastered all of the Elements. After being gifted with the element of Fire, he betrayed the Goddess and imprisoned her. He then consumed her body with his flames and took her power for himself, the power to bend all the elements and bring the world to its knees. It wasn't until Seiros united the four Saints and defeated the Fell King and his followers that the world finally saw an age of peace, though the crests of the Ten Elites continued to be passed on through noble bloodlines, preserving our people's connection to the Elements."

Wan went on to describe each element in detail, and the powers associated with each. Water, for example, often gave superhuman reflexes and the ability to heal wounds quickly. The book claimed that anyone who had the dedication could learn the abilities associated with each of the elements, though only those with a compatible crest could manipulate the element in physical form, such as directing water to grab onto and choke an enemy's esophagus.

Particularly intriguing to him was the power of Air, which seemed to be connected to the mind. Practitioners of Air were said to be able to anticipate the flow of battle as though they could see the enemy's movements before they happened. Some masters of Air could even turn the tide of battle simply by implanting false ideas into the mind of the enemy general, causing them to act irrationally and make decisive mistakes.

He thanked Lysithea for recommending the book, and asked if she thought this was really something that he could learn through practice.

She furrowed her brows. "The prevailing theory is that it's a gift that has to be nurtured from a young age, but there have been cases of adults picking up techniques with enough dedication. Basic air and water isn't too hard, and earth is mostly a matter of physical conditioning. Fire's the tricky one. As far as I know, there's only one case in the history of the Academy where someone learned to bend Fire without an inborn crest. A girl who studied here about 20 years ago by the name of Lyn Bei Fong."

"Where is she now?"

"Dead. Buried in the church somewhere. But no one knows how it happened."

...

The air in front of him remained stubbornly calm. He tried the technique again as described in Wan's Guide. First the movement to expand the air from his chest, then the amplification of the vacuum using his core, then the sudden release through the diaphragm. Still nothing happened.

The thought occurred to him that it might be something he's only able to do when in immediate danger. He looked around and suddenly had a crazy impulse to leap off the side of the canyon, or challenge Leonie to another duel, but immediately thought better of it.

Besides, it didn't add up. He'd been in plenty of danger on plenty of occasions with Jeralt, but somehow he'd never been able to summon the power before meeting those students...

After several more fruitless attempts, he decided to go to sleep, exhausted from the day.

...

That night, the girl on the throne revisited him in his dream. This time, though, instead of merely dark emptiness, it looked as though they were standing on a glass platform suspended high above the ground. A featureless sky extended overhead like a massive dome, and Byleth could even feel a light breeze.

_You're never going to be able to teach those students if you can't teach yourself._

She approached him.

_Why don't you let me help you._

At that moment, the glass panel shattered and Byleth began tumbling to the world below. Falling along with him were Edelgard, Hubert, and the rest of the Black Eagles class.

The green haired girl floated lazily in front of him, eyeing him as one would eye a tiresome child.

_I thought you were going to help me!_ he protested.

_I am. Wasn't it you who wanted to jump off that cliff earlier?_

He could feel the waves of air passing by him, each ripple faster than the next. He cursed. He tried the technique from the guide. It didn't work. He was still falling.

In desperation, he reached for Edelgard's hand. It was soft, covered in sweat, but also reassuring. Suddenly he had an idea. _Do this!_ He instructed urgently, and showed her the technique for the Pneuma Gale. She mirrored him. Soon the rest of the class was following suit.

Suddenly, a spasm of air erupted from beneath them, slowing their descent. The air pushed up against the force of gravity until they were no longer falling, but suspended in the sky atop a giant swirling ball of air. Byleth looked around and saw his class floating gracefully with arms outstretched, bouncing slightly as the air expanded and contracted. He then commanded the ball of air to move, and it did. Soon, he and his class were soaring across the skies; over the Monastery, across northern Fodlan, and into the lands beyond.

…

The next morning he approached Edelgard with his idea. "You said you wanted the class to learn firebending, right? Why don't we teach them together?"

And so, that afternoon, he and Edelgard led the class out to the mock battlefield to practice the first firebending technique in Wan's guide, the flash flare. Byleth had studied it during lunch and had memorized the technique, even if he couldn't execute it, but Edelgard was more than capable of demonstrating.

First the breath. Then the gathering of chi in the right palm while siphoning it from the left, then connecting the palms to release the energy.

Hubert was the first to get it, and Byleth was almost blinded by the intensity of the flash. Linhardt was not far behind, and soon enough, even Ferdinand and Caspar got the technique. The one who was having the most trouble was Bernadetta, who winced each time she brought her hands close as though afraid of popping a balloon.

Byleth walked over and examined her form. Suddenly, he had an idea. He suggested that she modify the technique a bit so that she released the energy as a gentle pulse rather than a blinding flash, and then showed the necessary modification. She tried it, and to everyone's surprise, a warm glow began to emanate from between her palms, pulsing every few seconds. It was astonishing most of all for Bernadetta, who stood with a look of pure joy and relief on her face. Pretty soon, the other students wanted to learn this version of the flare as well.

They spent the rest of the afternoon trying out different variations of their own invention. Hubert managed to turn his green, while Dorothea managed to make heart-shaped fireworks. Most interesting of all was Petra's, who had somehow set hers off in the shape of a flying lemur.

That night, as Byleth was sitting in the dark, on a whim he tried the technique he had taught to the students that day. To his astonishment, the room lit up in a red glow. Hovering inches above his open palm was an orb of warm red light. A burning flame, pulsing steadily like a heartbeat.


	7. The Red Canyon Ambush

**Chapter 6: The Red Canyon Ambush**

"I saw it with my own eyes. The girl Bernadetta has never bent fire in her life. Now she has been using it to cook her own meals just to avoid socializing with her classmates."

Thales raised an eyebrow but didn't look away from his tome. His countenance seemed to darken the room such that even fire itself was swallowed up in the void. The Flame Emperor barely suppressed an involuntary shudder.

"It started ever since the Professor began teaching. Some of the Black Eagles students do not even have crests. And yet they have _all_ mastered the Breath of Fire by now."

The dark bishop finally looked up from his tome. His eyes were menacing and filled with a religious fervor that even the Archbishop couldn't match.

"Finally!" He breathed. "After generations of failure, at last the True King shall return to reward our devotion. By laying waste to that hideous church, and especially that treacherous witch."

The Flame Emperor looked on silently as Thales continued to wax eloquent about his dastardly plans for said witch and the glorious reign of King Nemesis. As he kvelled thus, numerous dark shadows began to appear as though summoned by their master.

"I want you to capture the Avatar. Bring him here alive. You may do as you please with the rest."

The assassins each bowed in turn before melting back into the shadows.

_Yes. Indeed._ Thought the Emperor. _But will the Professor ever bow to you?_

…

"The time has come, Professor Byleth. Tomorrow, your class will depart for the Red Canyon, where your mission is to root out the bandit known as The Boulder and his gang of thieves." Seteth delivered the information in his usual stoic manner.

"I'm well aware," Byleth replied calmly. "We will not fail."

"I trust that you will not, given your class's recent _progress_." He paused for a moment as though he wanted to press on the topic, but decided against it.

"Normally we would have asked your father to accompany you-"

"You know where he has gone? Seteth, please tell me."

Seteth sighed. "Jeralt will return, Lady Rhea has foreseen that much. But for now, concentrate on leading your students and keeping them safe. He has entrusted that task to you, as have I."

…

"No Ferdinand, for the last time, I'm not fighting you in an Agni Kai."

"But Edelgard, as descendants of Aegir and Hresvelg, we're honor-bound to carry out our fath- oh, hey Professor!"

They fell silent as Byleth approached. He sighed.

"Something I missed, Ferdinand?"

"Not at all, Professor! We're just really fired up for the mission tomorrow. I haven't felt this confident in my firebending since...well, ever!"

"You would do well not to take our mission lightly, Ferdinand," Edelgard admonished.

"Come on, Edelgard, don't tell me you haven't noticed how much we've all improved since the Professor started teaching us. What challenge could a few bandits possibly pose to us?"

Edelgard turned away stone-faced and silent.

…

The class departed for the Red Canyon early next morning. Half the class seemed excited, a few were anxious and the rest seemed to just want to get this mission over with. As they left the protective walls of the monastery heading north, Byleth felt a strange presence as though someone were watching him from overhead, but he couldn't make out what it was.

By the time they arrived at the Eastern rim, the midday sun was high above their heads. Byleth could feel its energy irradiating his body. An ideal time for firebending, but Byleth hoped it would not come to that. As much as his - or rather Edelgard's - lessons had helped everyone progress, fire was still an unpredictable element at best.

"It's...incredible." Bernadetta was looking out over the rim of the canyon, immersed in the spectacular view. "A little scary, but also kind of beautiful."

"This canyon is said to be the settlement of the original Children of the Goddess." Linhardt remarked. "I can understand why they were attracted to this place."

"Because it's the perfect place for an afternoon nap?" Dorothea suggested.

"Hmm...napping or researching an ancient civilization. Life is filled with such difficult choices."

"It was also the place where the original Children were slain by the followers of Nemesis," Edelgard amended.

The whole class looked out somberly over the rocky grey landscape. They hiked along the rim that seemed to stretch for miles, until they discovered a narrow trail that snaked all the way down to the bottom of the canyon. The trail was steep and had to be carefully navigated.

…

Half an hour later, they set foot on the canyon floor. The ground was rocky and seemed to be covered in soot and ash.

Suddenly, the ground underneath them caved in.

"SO! You kids thought you could just sneak up on The Boulder! Well think again! I, THE BOULDER, will be making a handsome profit on the lot of you once I ransom you back to the Fire Nation."

"Really," Edelgard challenged. "Come now, The Boulderdash, do you really expect to take on all seven of us with just three goons?"

"Bahahah. Idiot girl. I've got two more earthbenders hiding up in the middle of the canyon. Just in case the lot of you try to pull some kind of funny business."

"Oh really?" Caspar chipped in, "I'll have you know we're all elite firebenders. Hope you brought some water, cause a little rockalanche ain't nothing for us."

"Yeah, keep talking, boy. I might just decide to bury you lot and save me some trouble."

"Go ahead!" Dorothea mocked. "I'll bet you couldn't even pull off a mudslide."

"FINE! Don't blame me if you asked for it! Hey, Hippo!" He shouted up at the cliff above them. "Make yourself useful and show these loudmouth kids who's in charge!"

"You got it boss - YAAAHHH!"

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"...Eh? Hippo? You doin' okay up there, buddy?!"

"PETRA, NOW!"

The ground around the bandits burst into flame. Suddenly, it was they who were entrapped.

Several ropes were thrown down allowing the group - minus Petra and Ferdinand who had stayed hidden atop a ledge overlooking the area - to climb out of the trap.

"Good call, Professor. Who would have thought ropes would be so useful?"

They turned to The Boulder and the two bandits who were now cowering inside the circle of flames.

"Well, class, it looks like our mission for this month was easier than we thought. It'll be up to Rhea to decide what to do with these goons."

"No, wait, I - I'm sure we could work somethin' out here!"

Just then, a feeling like a sudden flash of fear crossed Byleth's mind. He turned just in time to see the killing weapon headed toward him. Just as his body was about to reflexively dodge, another body hit him and knocked him aside. He heard a dull thud as the weapon meant for him pierced into Edelgard's shoulder, causing her to collapse to the ground in pain.

Another dagger sailed past his face, but this time his reflexes saved him. Ferdinand charged at the assassin with his lance, now glowing red with flames. The assassin drew his sword to repel the attack, and a fierce duel commenced. Two more shadowy figures had appeared now. Petra shot two arrows at the closest one, who dodged with an inhuman speed. He had covered half the distance now as she tried again at the closer range. It was no good. They were going to be outmatched.

A sharp watery whip snagged itself around Byleth's ankle and pulled him off his feet. He tried to free himself with his blade but the water clung tenaciously. The assassin who had bent the water was pulling Byleth towards the shadows while the other drew his dagger and prepared to eliminate his target: Edelgard.

Byleth's vision was going white. All he could focus on was the cloaked figure seconds away from driving his knife into the wounded Edelgard. There was no choice, he had to kill him _now_. The blue energy erupted from his hands before he could even think, colliding with the killer and completely incinerating him.

Byleth barely noticed the column of flame that descended from the sky over the assassin who had ensnared him. Looking up, he saw Seteth descending upon a gigantic wyvern - or was it a dragon? - just as several more black figures appeared from the shadows of the canyon.

"Byleth, take Edelgard and leave! The rest of you prepare to defend each other!" He aimed several fire blasts at the approaching figures.

"Seteth!" Someone called. "What's happening with the Professor?"

...

Sothis's vision was glowing. All she could see was the immense light everywhere that singed her eyeballs, and her body - was it her body? - seemed to be fighting against the force of gravity. She didn't know who or what she was at that moment, except for one thing.

She was going to DESTROY her enemies, the ones who would dare harm her children.

She could see them. They were as dark red outlines in her vision of white. There were six assassins in total, all had noticed her. They drew swords laced with poison, and advanced. Before they could get far though, she sent two of them flying into the air with a single stomp of the Earth. A split second later, another two were blown into the canyon walls with enough force to damage a castle wall. Seeing this, the remaining two changed tactics and began to flee. But she was NOT going to let them get away. Summoning the cold rage inside her, she separated the yin and yang in her body and directed the resulting energy at the fleeing assassins. The forked lightning speared both of their hearts, killing them instantly.

She saw something else in her vision now. Fire. And within it, more enemies. She advanced toward them, preparing the lightning within her fingers for another lethal blow.

"PROFESSOR! NO!"

_WHAT?!_ She turned to the source of the voice. There seemed to be a little girl. She wasn't clear in her vision, but she did not have the aura of an enemy. She seemed to be pleading.

"Professor, please! No more!" The girl sobbed. "No more killing, please. Edelgard is hurt. She really needs help."

Sothis looked about and saw the girl on the ground. She was wounded. However, she could sense that her chi was very strong, and still mostly contained within her body, so the wound was probably not fatal, but it was slowly being corrupted by poison. She quickly sensed the source of the rupture and, using a waterbending technique, redirected the energy back within her body, purifying it and subsequently sealing the wound.

Feeling slightly calmer now, Sothis looked around in confusion, until she spotted the enemies within the flames again. She advanced menacingly towards them.

"Professor!"

_Who is that? The voice sounds familiar._

"Great Goddess, I beseech thee, quell thy rage. The danger is past, but the beasts will be here soon, driven mad by the divine energy. We must escape while we can."

At the moment, a deafening howl sounded within the canyon. Several more followed, and they seemed to be getting nearer. Sothis knew then that what the voice said was true. She commanded the Earth beneath them to rise, and with a small effort on her part, it began to ascend up the side of the canyon, bringing everyone - including the bandits - along with it. She could sense below them a large number of beastly and hellish creatures drawn by her chi.

They reached the top of the canyon. Then, Sothis, suddenly feeling very tired, collapsed onto the ground and fell asleep.

…

Byleth opened his eyes to see Edelgard peering down at him. The look of concern on her face briefly melted into relief before turning back into concern. Looking around, he could see the rest of the class and Seteth among them. It was dark now and the flickering light from the nearby campfire lit the clearing in a transitory glow.

"What...what happened?"

"Professor…" Edelgard began, "I don't know how much you are able to recall. But when we were attacked, you called upon the Four Elements to our aid."

"I...what?"

"You were transported into the Avatar state and your connection with Sothis allowed her will to act through your body," Seteth clarified, rather unhelpfully.

"The...Avatar state?"

"It's a defense mechanism that becomes available to the Goddess's vessel in situations of extreme danger or turmoil. Given what we witnessed just now, it is now beyond a doubt that you are indeed the Avatar."

"I'm...afraid I don't know what that means."

"You will in time. Suffice to say for now that you possess a unique potential to bend all four elements. From now on, I will be acting as your mentor alongside Hanneman, to ensure you are properly instructed in the traditions and teachings of Seiros."

Byleth looked around at his class. The faces of Ferdinand, Petra, Bernadetta, Linhardt, Dorothea, Caspar, Hubert, Edelgard - even The Boulder and his goons - stared back at him. Their expressions were a mixture of fear and admiration. He had a sinking intuition that he had done something to earn both.


	8. Through Earth and Shadow

**Chapter 7: Through Earth and Shadow**

The fire in front of him was warm but Byleth couldn't help but feel cold inside. Physically, he felt spent, like he'd just run a couple of marathons, even as his mind raced like a child's seeing the world for the first time. He'd literally just shared the mind of the most powerful being known to this world.

_Sothis_. The goddess who created Fodlan out of the chaos and gave it life. Who, through him, the Avatar, wielded the four elements as easily as an artist wielded a paintbrush. He stared at his hands, the fingertips of which still tingled from the energy of the lightning blast that had turned those men to ashes before his eyes.

He shivered. _What if...what if I can't control this?_ In his mind he could see a vision of Garreg Mach, its once pristine towers burning, its residents fleeing as he mercilessly struck them down, his students begging him to come to his senses but their voices lost in the deafening chaos.

"Professor?" Edelgard came and sat down gently beside him. "About what happened. How...how are you feeling?"

"It's a lot to process," he admitted. "And I'm afraid. Afraid of what I might do with this kind of power."

"You're a good person, Byleth," assured Edelgard. "If anything, Rhea should have known about this long before you did. And I…should have told you before as well. About what I had suspected was your connection with the ancient goddess."

"Sothis..."

Edelgard nodded. "In truth, I thought you might be the Avatar as soon as I saw you airbend against the bandits that day. Yet my first selfish thought was of using you to advance my own interests as head of the Black Eagles, and as heir of Adrestia… As it turns out, you've helped us greatly. The class has advanced so far thanks to your guidance."

Byleth shook his head. "I only bring out what people already know."

"That's exactly it! Don't you see, Byleth? It's the source of your powers as the Avatar. Because of you, Bernadetta was able to firebend for the first time in her life, and not only that -"

Before she could finish, they were startled by a sound of frantic rustling from the nearby bushes.

"Seteth! Professor!" A familiar voice suddenly broke the silence. Moments later, Ashe emerged, appearing harried and breathless.

"Thank - thank the goddess I found - I found you." He stammered, still struggling to catch his breath.

"What's happened, Ashe?" asked Seteth. "Speak openly, we are listening."

"It's my father...er, adoptive father...Lonato. He and his forces are heading this way, he's declared war on the Church!"

"But...that's impossible! Only yesterday the people of Omashu were loyal subjects of the Kingdom. How could a rebellion have started so quickly? Unless...it can't be…"

"Lady Rhea told me I'd find you here," continued Ashe. "You and the Professor's class have been gone for nearly a month!"

Seteth whirled around to face Byleth, his eyes betraying astonishment. "Byleth, your Avatar state, I fear it has disrupted the flow of Time."

He seemed to remember something then.

"I am sorry," he said abruptly. "I must go. Byleth, I trust you will protect your students in my stead."

With that, Seteth summoned Roku to his side and moments later the pair took off amidst a gigantic gust of wind. It blew out the campfire and left the class in darkness.

…

There was no time to wonder about the situation. Their only option was to return to the monastery as quickly and stealthily as possible. The bandits were initially against the idea, but the alternative of being eaten by wolves or captured by the Earth Kingdom rebels was no more appealing. They grudgingly followed as the class made their way up the path in silence.

"Shh!" came Ashe's voice from a few paces ahead. "There are some of Lonato's troops camped in that direction. I was almost caught on the way here. We'll have to go around."

They turned to take a slightly more sinuous route through the forest. Every now and then, a faint rumbling sounded beneath their feet, sending faint shivers up their spines. After a few moments, Ashe paused again, and knelt down to the ground as though to listen more closely.

"What's he doing?" Caspar whispered.

"Listening for vibrations in the ground. It's...an earthbender thing," said Linhardt.

"Okay, guys…" Ashe began ominously, "You're not going to like this, but I think we need to run."

"What? Why?"

The question needed no answer as in the next moment the sound of heavy footsteps broke the silence. Without second guessing this time, the group fled as fast as they could towards the far edge of the forest. The sound of men shouting could be heard in all directions.

"What about the bandits?"

"Forget it, leave them!"

After several minutes of desperate escape, they finally stopped to catch their breath. High above their heads, the full moon shone bright enough to reveal their location atop a plateau overlooking a dense forest to the west and a network of winding roads to the east. The largest of them was the main road between Garreg Mach and Omashu, the nearest Earth Kingdom city.

"Do you think we've lost them?" Someone finally asked.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake audibly. Around them, the earth stretched and lifted as though a giant baby were molding it like clay. It solidified into a ring of solid rock, trapping them within a walled garden.

Byleth's mind suddenly reeled from what he sensed just beyond the enclosure. There was something familiar about it...dark, sinister, inexorable. In his mind's eye he saw a black helmet, a magician mounted on a horse, a malicious and powerful lance in hand.

He sensed at least three other warrior-like presences as well. One of them was a woman, riding upon a winged horse and wearing glimmering steel armor, and the other two were men, both heavily armored with faces hidden in the shadow of their helms. He sensed incredibly dark auras emanating from each of them.

Suddenly, he was alone, facing the four demonic knights. One by one they dismounted and approached him, glowing spears poised and ready to carve out his soul. He tried to run but his feet felt like lead blocks. The earth beneath him rooted him down. He stumbled and fell to the ground, utterly helpless.

Their leader, the dark knight, lowered his spear and knelt upon the ground before Byleth, and spoke to him in a tongue that was utterly alien to him.

_Danvia thye ijelam ack nous filet, westregal Nemesis. Lysem aux sigel_.

Again the ground trembled, and Byleth found himself back in the clearing. He looked up and saw Dimitri, who was helping him to his feet. Accompanying him were two other male students Byleth recognized from the mock battle, and a blonde female student. She ran over and gave Ashe a hug.

"Thank goodness you're safe!" She exclaimed.

"Hah, good to see you too, Ingrid. Oh, and I found the Professor."

"Well Felix, toldya it wasn't a wild badgermole," said Sylvain.

"Whatever," the dark haired boy retorted.

"We were quite prepared to fight for our lives," Edelgard said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you then," Dimitri replied with cool courtesy. "But considering how long you've been away from the Academy, I doubt you would've put up much of a fight. I don't suppose it's a short story?"

"Another time, Dimitri."

"Very well. Then I recommend you take a path through these mountains back to the Monastery. It's safer than the main road, and the men who guard the passage are loyal to my father."

"I see. And you?"

"Our class has volunteered to help Catherine quell this rebellion. We will be joining with her forces shortly. That said, my father would have preferred to keep this an internal matter for the Earth Kingdom..."

"Sadly, The Boulder got away as we were fleeing from Lonato's troops."

"Ah...which boulder was that again?"

"Sorry, I meant that bandit we were supposed to capture."

"Leave that to us," he assured. "Our earthbending will be able to track them at night far better than you can."

"Thank you, Dimitri." Edelgard sounded genuinely grateful as she and the rest of Byleth's class said their farewells and headed towards the mountains, back to Garreg Mach.

"It was nothing...El."

…

The class arrived back at the Monastery later that night and found much needed rest. All except for Byleth, who lay awake that night staring at the stars through the still unfixed hole in his ceiling.

…

"The spirit world comprises all that exists but cannot be detected with mere senses. It is a world not of objects, but of concepts: light and dark, order and chaos, yin and yang, each given a unique spiritual form. In it, past and future are intertwined, and life and death are as impermanent as wake and sleep. We see simultaneously all that has been, and all that can be.

"The Avatar is known as the bridge between the material world and the spirit world. For the Avatar alone can cross the boundary between the two worlds without losing himself. While in the material world, he possesses immense power due to his latent spiritual energy, which unlocks the potential within all physical matter and manifests in his ability to bend all four elements."

Seteth proceeded to further explain the supernatural properties of the Avatar. Spiritual awakening. Elemental mastery. Past lives. The cycle of rebirth. Byleth was finding himself increasingly lost in the knowledge, but he nonetheless took it all in.

"So when I enter the Avatar state," he asked, "I and everyone around me gets sent forward in time?"

"Yes. It is the cost of crossing into the spirit world, where time does not flow the same way as in our world. The more time spent in the Avatar state, the greater the disruption. That is also the reason for the great beasts that appeared in the canyon. They are untamed spirits that crossed the border into our realm through the bridge created by the Avatar."

Byleth nodded, then thought of something else.

"When we were returning from the mission, we ran into Dimitri and some others from his class. Only...I saw them not as students, but as...someone else. He wore a helmet that covered his face, and I could not understand his speech," recounted Byleth.

Seteth's brows furrowed, deep in thought. "It is possible that you were tired at the time, and your mind may have crossed over into the spirit world by chance. This dark knight that you saw, it is possible that he was the progenitor of the royal crest that Prince Dimitri bears. I recommend you get adequate rest so as to avoid retriggering the Avatar state at all costs."

With that, the session concluded, and Byleth headed to the door of the meditation room. But he suddenly had one more question.

"Seteth...what does the goddess actually look like? I mean, physically?"

He must've imagined it, but he swore he saw the older Monk blush. "She manifests as the spiritual center of all living things, and in the hearts of all those who believe, as such her form is that of all things. I sense there is something else driving this question, however."

Byleth nodded. "That day when my father and I fought the bandits, and I was able to airbend, I saw a girl with green hair, who claimed to be the source of my powers. But if the goddess doesn't have a physical form, how can that be?"

Seteth paused then, looking troubled. Finally, he said, "It is a mystery why the goddess would choose one particular form over another when she appears to an individual. But my hypothesis is that this girl is linked to one of your past lifetimes as the Avatar. Perhaps one day, you will discover the answer for yourself."

...

Byleth looked askance at the device Hanneman was claiming could reveal his ancestry. All it needed was a sample of blood.

Loath as he was to spill any, he supposed the possibility of learning more about his destiny could be worth it. He placed the sample on the machine as Hanneman instructed.

After a while, several symbols which looked like ancient runes appeared holographically in front of him, and each displayed numerals along with more cryptic letters underneath.

"!"

"Utterly fascinating," exclaimed Hanneman. "Hmm...looking more closely at the blood analysis, it appears you may come from a place in northeastern Fodlan, perhaps from a village near the Locket. Have you any memories of growing up as a child?"

Byleth shrugged. "My father and I used to travel around a lot. He taught me most of what I know about swordsmanship. My mother though…" He shook his head. "I can't seem to remember her at all."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But if I may suggest, there is reason to think your mother was affiliated with the Church, according to this pattern over here."

"She was...a Monk of Seiros?"

"Quite possibly. As you now know, you are the Avatar. To me, that makes it all the more likely that your parentage would have deep spiritual roots. Look here."

He pointed to a particularly elaborate rune. This one pulsed steadily, like a flame.

"It is called the Crest of Flames. Most crests are inherited by blood. This one, however, is inherited by spirit, through the cycle of rebirth of the Avatar. It is the one borne originally by one known as the King of Liberation, as the source of his immense power."

Byleth stared at the symbol of the Crest of Flames, his stomach turning. "So I am the spiritual descendant of Nemesis."

"And of Sothis. Don't forget, it was Nemesis who stole the crest from the goddess through betrayal. Remember that, Byleth, if you ever find yourself doubting the nobility of your ancestry."

…

Byleth stayed late that night at his office to plan his lessons for the coming week. Reflecting back on the past month of classes, he still hadn't managed to figure out how he had managed to teach them so convincingly, despite knowing relatively little about the subject of military history. His class had become increasingly popular, and almost no one had been skipping class.

_I seem to just be able to think of this stuff on the spot. I wonder if it has something to do with the Avatar state that Seteth was talking about._

He decided to go see if Seteth was still in his office. He checked his office, but it was locked.

He turned around and saw someone standing behind him. He started. It was Flayn.

"Hi Professor! Were you looking for my brother? Unfortunately, he's not in. Had to go to the Water Tribes on some important business. But if there's anything I can help with, let me know! We can drink some tea while we chat!"

Byleth considered. "Actually, that sounds lovely."

Soon, he and Flayn were in the courtyard sipping on honeyed fruit blend and chatting about cooking and fishing and all manner of daily frivolities.

"Ah, by the way Professor! I thought you might be interested in visiting my home sometime!"

"Oh, and where would that be?"

"Why, the ocean! I'm sure you'd love it."

Byleth assumed she meant that she and Seteth were originally from the coast of Fodlan.

"Oh, and don't tell my brother I told you this, but apparently he thinks you can talk to Sothis. I'm not sure where he got that idea from. He won't tell me these things. But anyway, just thought I'd mention. I do feel like we're pretty close. Maybe it's because of a connection to the goddess, or maybe it's just that you're so charming."

Byleth couldn't quite suppress a blush.

Flayn looked amused. "Well well, Professor! I think we're getting along quite well."

"Er...can you tell me more about your connection with Sothis?" Byleth asked, partly motivated to change the subject.

"Oh, of course! I'm - uh...well actually, maybe that's a topic for another teatime." It was Flayn's turn to look embarrassed. "What I can say though, is that I learned all my waterbending from Her."

She looked at the bandage on Byleth's hand where he had cut himself earlier. "Here, let me have a look at that."

She took his hand in hers and, after a moment in which he felt a slight tingling in his palm, she unwrapped the bandage revealing the hand had perfectly healed.

"There we go! All better now, isn't it?" She leaned closer, as though sharing a secret. "Don't tell Seteth any of this, he's so overprotective. If you ever need anything like this in the future, just come visit me at home. Good night, Byleth."

With that, she trotted off towards the chambers on the upper floor, while Byleth returned to his room once again to stare up at the sky.

…

The fog was thicker than any Catherine had ever seen, and seemed to stretch for miles. In the distance, she could hear the sound of metal and earth clashing as evidence of a furious battle being waged.

As skilled and powerful benders as they were, the Monks were still just a peacekeeping organization, not a formal army. Yet in its thousand year history, no nation, let alone a minor lord, had ever taken up arms against the Church like this.

_Why would Lonato simply rebel for no good reason? Could it have something to do with what happened 20 years ago?_

"Captain. Word from his Highness, they've found the waterbender responsible, and eliminated him. The fog should be clearing up any minute now."

_Well done, Dimitri. Remind me to give your class extra sauna time._

Catherine's troops approached the main force. Only now did it become clear how lopsided the odds were in this fight. Even though the enemy outnumbered her four to one, most of their troops were nothing more than ragtag militia. What's more, they all seemed cowed by the sight of Thunderbrand.

The only exception was their commander, Lonato, an aged earthbender who was said to have built the great city of Omashu with his bare hands. He strode staunchly forward, well-sculpted muscles bulging like those of an old Greek hero.

"Well well well, if it isn't Thunderstrike Cassandra!" Lonato's voice cackled impishly, yet surprisingly sonorous for a man of his age. "You and that witch have disgraced my house with your vile act of villainy!"

"Speak about Lady Rhea like that again and I'll cut you down right here!"

"That witch murdered my niece Lyndis, and for that she will face an earthbender's justice! Even if I must deliver it with my own hands!"

With that, the earth began to shake violently as the earthbender charged.

Earth was a powerful element, but slow. Hence Catherine knew it would be difficult for her opponent to target her, as long as she kept herself moving. The ground beneath her rolled and tumbled, but using a combination of physical training and heightened airbender senses, she skimmed across it like a pebble across a pond. The earthbender kicked and thrust, each movement sending a wave of earth like a freight train in her direction, but with her sharpened senses she dodged every one.

As she did so, she began pouring her reserve energy into Thunderbrand, which began to glow as though on fire. The relics acted as conduits for receiving and focusing the wielder's chi, allowing them to execute attacks that would normally be beyond their physical abilities. In Catherine's case, her sword was linked to the Crest of Charon, one of the Firebending Elites.

_Sorry, but I won't be going easy on you today._

With that, she unleashed the lightning at her advancing foe. The air before her exploded with the immense heat of electricity, which instantly connected itself with Lonato's iron mail, disintegrating it into molten metal. The shock repelled the old baron a dozen paces and he lay disoriented on the ground.

"The penalty for slandering the Archbishop is death. May you learn the error of your words as you spend the rest of your days in the spirit world."

"Lyn…I'm sorry..."

And she brought the glowing sword down upon her defeated foe.

…

Byleth awoke in cold sweat when a girl's scream pierced the night. There was no mistaking whom it belonged to.

_Flayn_.


End file.
